Hey Y'all! Trailer Park Christmas Shoppin'

Taking care of your gift needs the trailer trash way...and I mean that in a good way!

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The limited first editions of TheScroogeReport t-shirts, hats, large coffee mugs, and more are now available to order through CafePress!

Freethought Society Mocks Christmas Tree Tradition

A Tree of Knowledge

Atheists in Philadelphia have apparently chosen Christmas time to start their own tradition of putting up a cut pine tree…only instead of Christmas decorations, the tree is adorned with book covers.

The Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia's ‘A Tree of Knowledge’ is displayed at the Chester County Courthouse beside three traditional holiday displays.

Ah yes, “A Tree of Knowledge”…nothing brightens an atheist’s “holiday” time more than a tree decorated with copies of covers of books, including “Why I Am Not A Christian,” “Why I Am Not a Muslim” and “Judaism Beyond God.”

Oh, yes, there’s a cover of the Koran and Bible, too! What a gloriously all-inclusive holiday this is!

Despite a large portion of Americans giving reverance to the Christmas tree and it’s relation to a holy day in the Christian calendar, none have called for the members of the Freethought Society to be whipped, jailed, or even executed.

The Tree of Knowledge stands next to three other religious displays and as the group’s president Margaret Downey said, is “welcoming to agnostics, atheists, humanists, skeptics, rationalists of all kinds.”

This from The Philadelphia Inquirer:

As there was last year, there is also a Chamber of Commerce tree - 32 feet high - meant to attract shoppers, as well as a Christian creche and a Jewish menorah.

When told of the Freethought display, Colin Hanna, a former county commissioner whose organization - Pennsylvania Pastors Network - is sponsoring the creche, said, “Their intention is to use the courthouse to make a political statement?

“That seems to me a pretty fundamental perversion of the purpose of holiday displays . . .”

Downey said her display, which she is calling “A Tree of Knowledge,” is decorated with covers of works such as the Bible.

“The reason we advocate reading the Bible,” she said in an interview, “is because so many people become atheists upon completing the entire reading of it.”

What a loving group this is! What a “thoughtful” group, too! Never mind that many more become SAVED after reading the Bible, deciding to accept Jesus Christ!

I have no problem with the Tree of Knowledge going up whatever time of year. I think it’s a great time to ask atheists what they are so really angry about. Why do they have to mock Christmas and Christians (apparently really dumb because they don’t read enough books)?

I’ll tell you what, Freethought Society. You go ahead and put “free thought” above all else and we’ll see where your best thinking gets you.

As for me, I’ll be happy to recognize that I’m really not that smart, but for the grace of God.

I’m happy to recognize something else as well:

I’m living in a country where no one is calling for your heads, even for such obvious mockery.

- Alexander, TheScroogeReport.com

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The limited first editions of TheScroogeReport t-shirts, hats, large coffee mugs, and more are now available to order through CafePress!

Get "Free Mohammed the Teddy Bear" Stuffed Toy Now!

A teacher's approval of her students' naming of a Teddy Bear Muhammad lands her in a Sudanese jail. Make a statement with this bear!


Plush bear is a cutie in his own message-bearing t-shirt and festive red ribbon. He’s a great gift for sending to your favorite Sudanese official. Put a smile on someone’s face. Just grin and bear it!

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Perceived Insult To Islam Turns To Assault on Reason

Sudan: Officials seize a British teacher's approval of students 'Muhammad' teddy bear to play the culture card

This Week’s Top Scrooge - November 30, 2007

By ALEXANDER


I suppose there are worse atrocities in the world.

Sure, the Sudanese government's imprisonment of a kindly-looking teacher for the "hate crime" of allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad may not seem like a big deal to some.

After all, her sentence is only 15 days (five of which she has already served) and the maximum 6-month sentence and 40 lashes were not dished out by the Sudanese judge. I guess to prison veterans (and Muslim jailers), this is just a walk in the park. But for a teacher?

In finding that British primary school teacher, Gillian Gibbons, is guilty of insulting Islam by allowing her seven-year-old pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad, Sudanese officials have deliberately assaulted reason.

The Sudanese leaders have attempted to use Gibbons and Teddy 'Muhammad' Bear to call the rest of the non-Muslim world ignorant for not bowing to them. They are saying that all of us must walk on egg shells, careful to not accidently be offensive or we will be lashed, imprisoned, or killed...



READ MORE/BLOG

Teddy Muhammad Bear Teacher Says Sudanese Jail Not Bad

This from Reuters:

Jailed British teacher says Sudan treating her well

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM - A British teacher detained in Sudan for insulting Islam after her students called a teddy bear Mohammad has said she is being treated well, British diplomats said on Wednesday.



Outside the jail where Gillian Gibbons, 54, is being held, many ordinary Sudanese said they were ready to forgive her if she apologised.

Leaflets were distributed in Khartoum calling for protests, but many people had still not heard of the case and others called for calm. Lawyers say Gibbons could face 40 lashes, a fine or six months in jail if convicted.

"When we heard we wanted to demonstrate immediately but some said we should wait and see what the concerned authorities find out," said Abdallah, a science student.

Shopkeeper Sabir Abdel Karim said that if Gibbons had not intended to insult Islam, an apology to Muslims would be enough to end the problem.

"If the teacher apologised to the Sudanese people and to all Muslims because she insulted the Prophet Mohammad then this is enough to end the matter," he said.

"Any one can make a mistake and Muslims are forgivers. She will be forgiven and God will be the judge."

"If there was a misunderstanding as to what happened this can be resolved peacefully," said Omar, a 30-year-old unemployed man.

Most Sudanese papers have not given much coverage to the affair, which began with Gibbons' arrest on Sunday evening.

Seven-year-old Mohammad, a student in her class, told Reuters that he had named the teddy bear after himself and most in the class agreed with his choice.

Many Sudanese had not heard the full story and thought she had made a model of an animal and named it Mohammad after Islam's Prophet.

Rumours of riots, violent protests and cars burning near the school were rife but the streets were calm and there was no sign of demonstrations.

Not all were ready to forgive and forget, however.

"She is a teacher and should be teaching her pupils to be respectful and have morals but instead she is doing the opposite," said Mohamed Toum, a law student.

And a leaflet was being handed out in Khartoum calling on Muslims to protest after Friday prayers.

On Wednesday, three British embassy officials and a teaching colleague from the Unity High School where Gibbons worked were allowed to visit her for more than 90 minutes.

"I can confirm that we have met Ms. Gibbons and she said she is being treated well," said British consul Russell Phillips. "We remain in close contact with the Sudanese authorities on this case," he said, declining to give further details.

A pale-faced Gibbons walking with her head down and a thin blue blanket wrapped around her shoulders was taken from her prison cell to the meeting room.

Sudan's Justice Minister, Mohamed Ali al-Mardi, said preliminary charges against her were insulting religion, and final charges would be levelled once the investigation was over.